psychic

Psychic and son charged with theft and conspiracy

(Newser) -
New Jersey authorities say a psychic and her son cheated an elderly man out of more than $147,000 for treatment they said would rid him of evil spirits. Galloway police say Sally "Kim" Wando and her son, Frank Marco, face theft and conspiracy charges. Authorities say the pair...
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Scientists: Psychics may be able to harness coping mechanisms to help others

(Newser) -
When people say they hear voices no one else can, it can be an indication of mental illness, such as schizophrenia, or it could be some sort of auditory hallucination—and per Joseph Frankel's examination in the Atlantic , some scientists think such a sensory glitch might not always be...
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She allegedly told the victim 'evil spirits' would get her

(Newser) -
A professional psychic is accused of conning more than $200,000 out of a wealthy University of Colorado student, the Longmont Times-Call reports. Victoria Lacoste—of the Lacoste clothing family—started getting tarot card readings and spiritual advice from 32-year-old Becky Ann Lee, owner of Psychic Chakra Spa in Boulder,...
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He allegedly spent $90K for a gold bridge in another realm

(Newser) -
Niall Rice met Michelle while receiving treatment for acute anxiety at an Arizona rehab clinic. "We had such a strong connection, it was unbelievable," the 33-year-old Brit tells the New York Times . "I loved her deeply." The pair broke up weeks after leaving rehab, but Rice...
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Texas man wants reward money for 'helping' in case of escaped inmates

(Newser) -
On June 7, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted that the state of New York had $100,000 for anyone with info that would lead to the arrest of two escaped prison inmates. Now a Texas psychic wants Cuomo to pay up and has filed a lawsuit to demand the...
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TAM not taking any chances

(Newser) -
A psychic last week predicted that Brazilian airline TAM's flight JJ3720—a Sao Paulo-to-Brasilia flight set for Wednesday—would develop engine problems and crash. What's perhaps unusual about this story is TAM's response: Citing "indispensable information," the airline changed the flight's number to JJ4732,...
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Psychic researcher in NYC 'simply didn't die earlier'

(Newser) -
A psychic researcher who became the world's oldest man in April spent his final hours trying to communicate in Polish and Russian with spirits he sensed around him, a friend says. Alexander Imich, 111, died yesterday at the seniors residence in Manhattan where he had lived since his wife'...
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Rose Marks apologizes for hurt caused

(Newser) -
A 62-year-old psychic will spend some of her golden years in prison after what the Broward-Palm Beach New Times calls "the largest case of fortune-telling fraud ever to hit a courtroom." After decades operating in New York City and Fort Lauderdale, Rose Marks was sentenced to 10 years...
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Sylvia Mitchell's clients say she never helped them

(Newser) -
Soothsayers beware: A New York psychic was found guilty today of swindling her clients out of more than $150,000 with stories of past lives and "negative" energy, CBS News reports. Sylvia Mitchell, convicted of grand larceny and scheming to defraud, is stuck in jail without bail before her...
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She told police that a couple had mass grave on their property

(Newser) -
A psychic peering into the lives of a Houston couple a few years ago should have seen a future filled with riches. Instead, she labeled them as mass murderers—falsely, as it turns out—and now a judge has ordered her to pay them $7 million for defamation, reports the...
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But astrologers say Mercury Retrograde could make things messy

(Newser) -
Forget the pundits and statisticians : To find out who's really going to win the election, some are turning to shamans and psychics. In Peru, shamans have called a winner: President Obama. They came to the conclusion after chewing coca leaves, drinking a hallucinogenic brew called ayahuasca, and putting flower...
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More are getting requests for guidance on when to take trips, says NYT

(Newser) -
Travel is apparently becoming such a pain that people need a sixth sense to make it go smoothly. So says the New York Times , which stitches together anecdotal evidence to make the case that more people are asking psychics for all manners of travel advice—the best days and times...
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...and other weird OWS news

(Newser) -
If you thought a sitcom predicting Moammar Gadhafi’s death was weird, check this out: A psychic predicted when Occupy Wall Street would begin, almost down to the minute, Mediaite reports. At a psychic panel in Kansas City in January, Steve MacDonald said the lower and middle classes would revolt...
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She told girl that curse could be lifted, for a fee

(Newser) -
A self-proclaimed psychic in California scared the bejeezus out of a 12-year-old girl by telling her that "horrible things" awaited her in the future, reports the Los Angeles Times . Then, police say, she told the girl that the curse could be lifted for the right price, which prompted the...
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17 bodies still missing from air force crash on Friday

(Newser) -
With the bodies of 17 victims still missing from an air force plane crash on Friday, Chilean officials have turned to a psychic to help find the bodies, reports the AFP . "We're are working with a person who is on one of the (search) boats," says Chile'...
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Claimed they spoke to God, made a fortune

(Newser) -
If only they were real psychics, maybe they would have seen this coming. A Florida family has been indicted for running a psychic advice business that scammed clients out of $40 million over two decades, reports the Miami Herald . In "Operation Crystal Ball," federal prosecutors charged 10 people...
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Police swarmed rural farmhouse to investigate

(Newser) -
Deputies who swarmed a rural Texas neighborhood today to search a farmhouse where a person claiming to be a psychic told officials multiple bodies were buried found no evidence of even a single homicide. Liberty County Sheriff's Capt. Rex Evans said there was no indication of bodies being anywhere...
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Most Americans believe pets have a sixth sense, at least about weather

(Newser) -
Two-thirds of American pet owners believe their pets are psychic—about the weather, at least. And a whopping 43% say their pets have a sixth sense about bad news, a new survey shows. Pet owners relate stories of dogs and cats alerting them to thunderstorms, earthquakes, seizures, panic attacks—one...
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Respected journal publishing paper claiming proof of psychic ability

(Newser) -
A paper to be published in one of psychology's most respected journals already has believers in the paranormal excited and academics crying foul. The paper, by Cornell professor Daryl Bem, has been accepted by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and its author says it presents strong evidence for...
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Psychic octopus transfer bid rejected

(Newser) -
Paul the octopus' German hosts are less than impressed by the Madrid Zoo's offer to trade some coral or small sharks for the world-famous cephalopod oracle. Spain is eager to get its hands on the octopus that predicted its World Cup win, and has offered money if the Germans aren't...
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